Through the Tough Times
by Pepper9873
Summary: My first fanfic, set about a year after Voyager's return. Tom and B'Elanna have seperated, but with another baby on the way, can thier love for each other bring them back together, or is love not enough? All comments are welcome. Thank you for reading!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story. They are the respectful property of Paramount; I just write stories about them.

* * *

After Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant, Tom became a holo-novelist to support his new family. At first, everything was perfect, but when his publisher kept pushing him for a new novel, he started feeling the pressure of his new career. He became frustrated with everything to the point where he would lock himself in the den for hours at a time. As a result, B'Elanna was also becoming frustrated with her husband.

She as well as working as the liaison between the federation and the Klingon Empire, she had also become more of a housewife. Usually she had Tom to help her with Miral and the household chores, but now that he was in the den most of the day, she was left to pick up the slack.

This lead to more fights between them, and after one of their bigger fights, they decided that it would be best if they gave each other their space. So Tom moved in with Harry, who lived in the apartment complex across the street, and since Harry was on deep space missions ninety percent of the time, Tom had the apartment to himself when Harry was gone.

They were both hesitant to tell their parent's about what happened, but they knew they had to sooner rather than later. Tom told his parent's, and B'Elanna told her mother. Tom's parents took the news with grace. However, B'Elanna's mother didn't take it so well. She went on about how B'Elanna should just divorce Tom, even after B'Elanna told her that she still loved him. Although she doubted that he stilled loved her.


	2. Chapter One

"If you're so busy, then why do you still come over here?" B'Elanna screamed. When Miral started crying, she realized how loud she had said it.

"Because I don't want our daughter to grow up without her father," Tom calmly stated for the sake of Miral's ears.

"I don't want her to either, but I can't take this anymore." She tried to hold back tears, but one managed to fall.

"B'Elanna, I never wanted to…" He was cut short when she pinned him to the wall, and pressed her lips against his. He followed her lead, and kissed her passionately. There were soon heading towards the bedroom that they used to share.

*

The next morning when B'Elanna woke up, she could hear the shower running. She entered the bathroom to see Tom walking out of the shower.

"Good morning; I hope you don't mind that I'm in here. I didn't wake you up, did I?" he said quickly wrapping a towel around his waist, a bit stunned that she came in.

"Yes, you did. Why do you look so shocked? It's not as if I haven't seen you without clothes before. And no, I don't mind, but next time make sure you put something on the floor if you're going to take a water shower." She pointed to his feet, where a puddle was forming.

"Aahh, sorry about that; I'll clean it up."

"You do that."

She turned and headed for Miral's room. When she got there Miral was still fast asleep, she quietly shut the door and went back to bed.

She woke up again an hour later. Knowing that Miral was awake and ready for breakfast. She threw on her robe and went to her daughter's bedroom.

*

Tom had already dressed Miral, and was now heading to the kitchen with her in tow. She wanted breakfast, and she was letting her father know by saying one of the few words in her vocabulary repeatedly. "Hungy, hungy."

"I know, daddy is going to get you breakfast."

Once they reached the kitchen, Tom gentle placed Miral in her high chair, and went to the replicator. He ordered mashed string beans for Miral and coffee for himself. The replicator hummed, and his order materialized. He picked up the coffee, and the bowl of green mash that was Miral's breakfast. He sniffed the contents of the bowl, which caused his face to distort in disgust. He knew it was Miral's favorite, but he could never understand why.

He then went to the counter, put his coffee down, and pulled a spoon out of the silverware draw for Miral. Then he placed the spoon and bowl in front of her, and went back for his coffee.

Big mistake.

Instead of waiting for him, Miral decided to feed herself by grabbing handfuls of the mash, and shoving her entire fist into her mouth. Tom grabbed some towels when he saw green slime coming out of the corners of her mouth. To him it was like a scene from a horror movie, and he knew it would be worse if B'Elanna saw the mess.

After several failed attempts at wiping Miral's face, Tom sat down at the table, and picked up the bowl and spoon to feed her. She protested loudly, but he didn't want to deal with a bigger mess. He brought a spoonful of mash to her mouth, and she grabbed the contents of the spoon with her hand. "You're not going to make this easy for me are you?"

She gave him a look that reminded him of the one B'Elanna gave him when the answer was obvious. She then rubbed the mash over her face, and put her green covered hand close to his mouth.

"Ahh, no thank you, sweetie." He was silently praying that her 15-month-old mind knew what he was saying.

"Daddy, hungy." She didn't, now he was praying that she wouldn't put her hand in his mouth like she used to.

As if reading his mind, she did exactly what he didn't want her to do. He pulled away when her hand touched his tongue. The mash tasted worst than it smelled, and he was desperately trying to get the taste out of his mouth. Miral was laughing her head off, and so was B'Elanna who was now watching the two.

"How, ew, long have you, gah, been there?" he asked, still trying to get rid of the taste.

"Long enough." She chuckled lightly, and walked over to Miral. She picked up one of the towels, and wiped Miral's hands and face. She laughed again when she saw Tom rinse his mouth with his coffee.

Tom looked at the chronometer that was over the replicator. 0920, he had a meeting to get to at 0930, if he didn't leave know he was going to be late.

"Hey, I have a meeting with my publisher to get to…"

"Don't worry, I'll clean Miral up, you just worry about getting there on time."

"Thanks."


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story. They are the respectful property of Paramount; I just write stories about them.

* * *

One week later, B'Elanna was running a diagnostic on Admiral Janeway's shuttle. She brought Miral with her, and the Admiral was bouncing her on her knee while B'Elanna was working.

"When was the last time you had your fuel injectors checked?" B'Elanna asked.

"I don't know, maybe a month or two ago." The Admiral turned her attention back to Miral, who was fiddling with her combadge.

"Uh huh." She held up one to show the Admiral the extent of the damage, and then put it back where it came from.

"Alright, maybe it was more like six months ago, but I've been very busy."

"Too busy to leave the shuttle at the engineering department while you're working?"

"Maybe not that busy, but if I did that then I wouldn't have an excuse to see you and Miral."

"So this had nothing to do with the shuttle?"

"It had something to do with the shuttle, but more to do with wanting to see this cute face." She said the last part in a baby-talk accent, which made Miral giggle with delight.

"I see, well then, as far as the shuttle goes it just needs a good cleaning on the injectors. And next time if you want to see us, please just say so." B'Elanna put the panel back in place and turned around.

"Noted." She handed B'Elanna a towel to wipe her hands with, and changed the subject. "So, how are things going with you and Tom?'

"Okay I guess, considering the situation." She stood up and felt a wave of dizziness. She held onto one of the consoles for support, which prompted Janeway to put Miral down, and push a chair closer to her so she could sit down.

"B'Elanna, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Maybe, you should see the Doctor."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"B'Elanna, I'm not… Really?"

In the eight years that she knew B'Elanna, she had never voluntarily gone to see the Doctor, and the fact that she was doing it now stunned her. B'Elanna gave her a nod, and she turned her chair so that she was facing the helm controls. "Alright then, just how long can the fuel injectors hold out?"

"About a week in their present state."

"Work's for me, will you be alright holding Miral?"

"I already have her."

Knowing that Miral was safely on her mother's lap, Admiral Janeway quickly went through her pre-flight, and tapped in the coordinates for Starfleet Medical. She also contacted the Doctor to let him know that he should expect them within the hour.

*

At Starfleet Medical, the Doctor was finishing up with his last patient. "Well lieutenant, you are in perfect health; I'll see you in six months." He nudged the patient out the door, and placed his medical tricorder back on the tray. His combadge beeped and his receptionist's voice came over the line.

"Doctor, B'Elanna Paris is here to see you."

"Send her in please." B'Elanna entered the room a few seconds later. "Good afternoon, I haven't seen you in awhile. What seems to be the problem?" He pointed to the biobed, and she sat down on it.

"I think that I might be pregnant."

"Oh, but I thought you and Tom weren't, you know."

"I really don't want to get into details, so could you just get on with the exam."

He let out a sigh, and took his tricorder off the tray. He scanned her abdomen, and gave her the news. "Congratulations, you're about a week pregnant, and both of you are healthy as targs. Would you like to know the baby's gender?"

"No, this time I want to be surprised. Thank you, Doctor." She slid off the biobed, and made her way to the door.

"Ah, B'Elanna, before you leave I want to give you a list of prenatal vitamins that I want you to take." He grabbed a padd off the tray and began filling it with the necessary information. "Here you go; I will also like to see you for routine exams. You can set the next one up for about a month from now"

"Will do. See you in a month." She walked out the door, and went to the receptionist desk to set up her appointment.

*

In the waiting room, Admiral Janeway was trying to calm down Miral. She was crying for B'Elanna, and everyone in the waiting room were plugging their ears because of it.

When B'Elanna stepped out of the door into the waiting room, relief rushed through her entire body.

"Miral, look mommy." Janeway pointed out B'Elanna.

Miral turned her head around, and held her hands out to B'Elanna.

"Mommy, mommy."

"Hey, sweetheart," B'Elanna cooed. She took Miral from the Admiral, and they went back to the shuttle.

*

Once she got home, B'Elanna commed Tom, and asked him to come over. She was pacing nervously back and forth; he had a right to know about the baby, but she wasn't quite sure how to break the news to him.

Miral was playing peacefully on the floor near the couch, B'Elanna watched her for a bit, then realized that she would somehow have to let Miral know about her new brother or sister. She wondered if Miral would even comprehend what was going on.

She was brought out of her thought when the door chime went off, signaling Tom's arrival. She walked over and opened the door to let him in.

"Hi, is everything alright? You sounded distracted earlier." Concern was clearly written on his face.

"Yeah, everything is fine, but we need to talk." She escorted him to the couch, and sat down next to him.

"Bella, what's wrong?" _Bella; _he hadn't called her that since they separated -he just got there, and he was already making things harder for her.

"Nothing's wrong it's just…" She sighed. "I don't know how to say this, so I'll just be blunt. I'm pregnant, Tom."

His jaw dropped, he was expecting something else.

"Tom, say something."

"H-how did this… Ohh." The memory hit him like a sack of bricks. They sat in silence for a while, until Tom spoke again. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Leave things the way they are I guess, I mean if I need you for anything, you're right across the street."

"Yeah. You know what I just realized?"

"What?"

"We're going to have to tell our parents about this."

"That's going to be fun, especially since my mother didn't take the news of our separation that well."

"You want me to tell her?"

"No, she'll be less likely to hurt you if I do." He laughed lightly; he knew she was right. She laughed as well, and gentle placed her head on his shoulder. She was tired, and it was starting to show.

"Hey, why don't you go to bed, I'll take care of Miral." He nudged her with his shoulder to get his point across.

"Alright, alright, I'm going. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Bella."

He picked up Miral, and B'Elanna placed a goodnight kiss on her cheek. He watched B'Elanna walk up the stairs, and followed her to put Miral to bed.


	4. Chapter Three

Two months later…

B'Elanna woke with a start when she felt her bed shaking.

Realizing what was happening, she ran to Miral's room, scoped her out of her crib, and made her way out of the house.

She had experienced an earthquake once before, and it terrified her enough to take a course on earthquake safety. And the first thing she was taught was to get into an open area.

She reached the front door, opened it, and walked out onto the front lawn. Miral had started crying, so she gently started bouncing her to calm her down.

*

Tom was running down the flights of stairs that lead to the main entrance of the apartment complex. Harry was doing his best to keep up with him, but was lagging behind.

_Jeez, it's as if he got super speed or something,_ he thought to himself as Tom started to disappear.

"Tom, wait up!"

He paid no attention to Harry, he was worried about Miral and B'Elanna -he had to make sure they were safe.

*

Once outside, he saw B'Elanna sitting on the curb, patting Miral's back. He slowed down and walked over to them. "Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, a bit shaken, but we'll live."

Harry came out a minute later; he was panting heavily, and flopped to the ground when he reached his friends. "You ok there, Starfleet? You look like you just ran the triathlon."

"I-I f-feel like I d-did," Harry panted. He let his head drop and tried to catch his breath.

Once he did, he noticed that the ground wasn't shaking anymore, but he still lay on the grass to exhausted to get up. He took in several deep breaths, letting the night air fill every crevice of his lungs. "Out of curiosity, what time is it?"

"Who knows? It's probably past midnight." B'Elanna looked over her shoulder at Miral who was now fast asleep. "I should probably put Miral back to bed. Goodnight Harry, Tom."

"Goodnight," they both replied in unison.

"So, are you just going to lie there, or are you coming back inside?" Tom stared down at Harry while he waited for his reply.

"Give me another minute; I'll meet you there."

*

The next morning B'Elanna woke up just as tired as she was when she went back to sleep. When she heard Miral calling her, she groggily got out of bed.

After feeding Miral, she went about cleaning up the kitchen. She was expecting Chakotay in a couple of hours, and she needed something to keep herself busy until he arrived.

Right when he said he would be there, Chakotay rang the door chime trying hard to keep the box he was carrying in his grasp. B'Elanna opened the door and threw her arms around his neck without saying a word. She hadn't seen him in what seemed like ages, and it felt nice to have his company again.

"I missed you too, B'Elanna." He took his free hand and patted her back.

"Oh, sorry. Ah, why don't we go inside and talk over coffee."

"Good idea."

He followed her inside the house, and she motioned him to sit down on the couch. He placed the box on the coffee table, and waited for her to return.

"Here you go." She handed him a cup, which he took gratefully. "How is Seven doing?"

"Fine, but she's a bit nervous about becoming a mother."

Seven was expecting their first child in five more months, and with each passing day, growing more worried about how capable she was of being a parent.

"She will adapt." B'Elanna chuckled a bit at the irony; that phrase was something she heard Seven say plenty of times, and now here she was saying it.

"I'll tell her you said that." He chuckled as well, then he remembered the box. "By the way this is for the baby." He handed her the box, she took it out of his hands and placed it on her lap.

"Ahhh, you shouldn't have."

"Well, are you going to open it?"

"Right." She pulled the top off the box, and pushed back the tissue. Inside the box was a dream catcher, just like the one he had given Miral when she was born. "Chakotay, it's beautiful. Thank you."

"Look further down, there's something from Seven also." He saw her face light up with excitement as she delved further into the box. She pushed back more tissue to reveal a yellow onesie.

"Tell Seven I said thank you when you get back."

"I will, I better get going, it's a long flight back to Arizona." They both got up from the couch and walked over to the door.

"See ya later, Chakotay."

"Same here, and take care of yourself."

"I will, have a safe flight.

"Thanks."

They shared one last hug before he walked out the door. She waved to him right before he entered his shuttle and flew off.


	5. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story. They are the respectful property of Paramount; I just write stories about them.

* * *

One month later...

B'Elanna inspected herself in the mirror; she turned to the side and ran her hand over her stomach that was now slightly rounded. She let her hand linger near the bottom, then remembered that she wanted to go shopping for baby clothes. She did have some, but most of them were geared for girls, and if the baby ended up being a boy, she wanted to be prepared. She wanted to do it now, before she left for the Klingon home world. So, she got Miral ready, and went across the street to leave her with Tom for the day.

*

When she got to the entrance of the apartment building, she pressed the button that opened a comlink to Harry's apartment.

She expected Tom to pick up, but instead Harry did. "Who is it?"

"B'Elanna. I thought you were on an away mission?"

"It got canceled; I'll buzz you up." He then pressed the button that unlocked the front door.

"Hey, Tom, you might want to get dressed -B'Elanna's on her way up." He heard cursing from the other room as Tom fumbled around, frantically getting dressed.

*

When B'Elanna reached the apartment, she pressed yet another button, and Harry opened the door to let her in. Tom came over to them and took Miral from B'Elanna. "Hey there, sweetie. How's daddy's favorite girl?"

"I hope you don't mind watching her, I wanted to get some shopping done, and I thought it would be easier without her."

"Do you want me to go with? I'm sure Harry won't mind watching Miral; right Har?" He gave Harry a large pat on the back, which caused him to go forward a bit.

"Don't listen to him, Starfleet. I'll be fine going by myself."

"No, take him; I'll watch Miral while the two of you are away."

"Alright, you win." She left it at that. Besides, if Tom came with her, she can have him carry the bags.

They said goodbye to Harry and Miral, and headed to the shuttle. Tom insisted on flying, so instead of fighting with him, she let him have the controls.

*

Tom and B'Elanna hadn't been gone for a minute before Miral started crying. Harry tried everything he could think of to quite her down, but had no success. So, he sat her down on the couch, got to her eye level, and started making silly faces. At first, she gave him a puzzled look, then started giggling when he pulled his cheeks with his fingers.

He kept at it until his face was sore, luckily Miral didn't start crying again when he stopped. He then grabbed some baby blocks that Tom brought with him when he moved in, and gave them to Miral to play with.

She picked up one of the blocks that was in the pile, and threw it. It hit him right in the forehead, and he winced in pain. Thinking that he was just doing more faces, Miral started giggling again.

Once the pain ceased, his face returned to normal, and Miral stopped. She just stared at him for a while, then threw another block. This time it hit him in the arm, and yet again, he winced in pain. Miral now realized that if she threw the blocks Harry would make more faces, so she did.

_What did I get myself into?_ he thought as block after block connected with some part of his body. He soon had enough, so he picked them off the floor, and went to return them back where he had gotten them from, which caused Miral to start crying again.

_Be strong, Kim, you're a Lieutenant Commander now. You've helped defeat Borg cubes -you will not let an 18-month-old little girl break you._

His pep talk didn't help much since he found himself bringing the blocks back to Miral. She automatically stopped crying, took a block out of his hand, and went back to her little game. _This is going to be a long day._

*

By the time B'Elanna finished her shopping, Tom was loaded down with three large bags. He managed to get them inside the shuttle without dropping one, and he was quite pleased with himself.

They sat in silence during the ride home, each caught in their own thoughts. B'Elanna finally broke the silence when the house came into view. "Hey, Tom?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for going shopping with me, and carrying the bags."

"You're welcome. Do you want me to help you get them into the house?"

"Yes, that would be nice, but one of us should probably get Miral."

"How does this sound? You get Miral; I'll take the bags upstairs."

"Sounds great. I won't take too long."

Once Tom had the shuttle on the ground, B'Elanna stepped out and went over to Harry's apartment.

*

Harry heard the ringing that meant someone was here to see him. He answered the com, and heard B'Elanna's voice come over the line.

"Oh thank goodness you're back. Give me one second."

He pressed the button that opened the main entrance, and about a minute later B'Elanna was standing outside his door. He quietly grabbed Miral off the bed since she was sleeping, and opened the door to let B'Elanna through.

"Jeez, Harry, what happened to you?" she asked.

There were some little welts on his arms, and face. He looked like he had come out of a small bar fight.

"Your daughter -that's what happened to me." There was a hint of bitterness in his tone, and he didn't care if B'Elanna heard it.

"What did she do to you?"

"I gave her some blocks to play with, and she found it funny to throw them at me." B'Elanna couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her mouth.

"It's not funny, B'Elanna. She throws hard for someone her size."

"I know, Starfleet, and I'm sorry for laughing." She was sincerely apologetic, so he let it slide this once.

"It's okay. But I think the next time you decide to go shopping, I'll go with you."


	6. Chapter Five

One week later...

B'Elanna and Miral were on a transport to Qo'noS.

There had been several attempts on the Emperor's life, and the Federation was helping to track down the culprit(s), to help keep the peace between themselves and the Klingon Empire. And since B'Elanna was the official liaison, she had to come to all of the meetings. This one in particular was about the last attempt and what could be done to stop more from coming.

Also attending the meeting was her father-in law Owen Paris, and Tuvok.

*

When they arrived at the transport terminal, B'Elanna was greeted by her mother.

"Lanna, how I missed you." She grabbed B'Elanna into a huge embrace, then took Miral from her. "There's my beautiful granddaughter."

"We missed you too, mom." B'Elanna grabbed her rolling suitcases, and her mother led them to her shuttle. "I'll pilot if you'd like"

"Nonsense, you just spent several hours on a transport. Besides you have no idea how to get to my house."

"Fine, I get the point."

*

During the flight, B'Elanna noticed that her mother was staring at her through the corner of her eye. She didn't say anything about it; she was tired and didn't feel like bickering with her mother. She drifted off to sleep, and put the feeling of being watched in the back of her mind.

Miral watched her daughter's eyes start to close, when she was sure that B'Elanna was fast asleep, she put the shuttle into autopilot, and watched her sleep. She stared down at her stomach; she still didn't understand how B'Elanna could have another child with Tom after what happened. Then again, she could never understand allot of things about her.

*

They finally reached the house, and Miral reached over to wake B'Elanna. "Lanna, wake up. We're here."

"Umm, five more minutes."

"Lanna, wake up."

"Alright, I'm up."

"Good, you get Miral, and I'll get the bags. Your room is at the top of the stairs."

"Thanks."

*

The next morning, B'Elanna got ready for the meeting.

Her mother was going to take care of Miral for the day, and she was a bit worried that Miral would give her mother trouble just as she did with Harry. She finished dressing, got breakfast, and headed out the door after saying goodbye. Her mother was letting her use her shuttle, so she tapped in the coordinates for the meeting and took off.

*

When she arrived, Owen and Tuvok were already sitting at the table with a few of the Emperor's most trusted advisors. She took the seat next to Tuvok, and waited for the Emperor. He came a few minutes later, and everyone stood to show their respect.

"Please, sit." His voice was soft, yet powerfully intimidating. He lowered himself into the chair at the head of the table. "Now, on to business; it appears to me that we need to add more forces to reconnaissance."

*

They were in the meeting for over two hours now and they were getting nowhere fast. Harsh words were exchanged -most of them only B'Elanna and the other Klingons in the room knew.

"If you have forgotten Admiral Paris, it's my life that is at stake," the Emperor stated. "And because we couldn't catch this pa'taQ sooner, my son lost his."

B'Elanna could feel a lump form in her throat. She remembered when she first heard the news that the Emperor's seven-year-old son was murdered. Even though she didn't believe much in Klingon beliefs, she hoped that he was able to spend his after-life in Sto-Vo-Kor.

"We are well aware of the situation," Admiral Paris responded, "and we think we have a way to find whoever is to blame by next week. Tuvok, if you'd please."

"If you'll excuse me, Emperor."

The Emperor nodded, and Tuvok walked out the door.

He was at the end of the corridor when he heard an explosion. He turned on his heels, and ran back into the meeting room.

*

B'Elanna felt dazed, she wasn't quite sure of what had happened, but she knew it wasn't good. She wanted to get up, but decided against it when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. More pain coursed through her entire body as the numbness wore off. Her eyes started feeling heavy, and her vision was blurring. She saw a man throw open the door and run towards her. It was Tuvok.

"B'Elanna."

He reached her side just as she lost consciousness. Tuvok pressed his combadge, opening a channel to the Victoria who was holding position near their coordinates.

"Tuvok to Victoria, medical emergency, seven to beam up."

*

They re-materialized inside the Victoria's sickbay. Doctor's and nurses rushed around the room, putting patients on biobeds, and administering treatment. Tuvok scanned the room, and noticed that B'Elanna was nowhere to be found. He found one of the nurses that were with the doctor that was treating B'Elanna and asked about her where abouts.

"She's in surgery," was the nurse's short reply.

The Victoria only had one surgical bay, so logic dictated that B'Elanna would be the first person in it because of her condition.

*

Back at Harry's apartment, Tom was hard at work putting information into a PADD for his new holo-novel. He looked up from the PADD when he heard his computer beep. He pressed a button, and the Doctor appeared on the screen.

"Hey, Doc, what can I do for you?"

"I'm afraid I have bad news. We just got word from the Victoria -there was an explosion on Qo'noS, both your father and B'Elanna were caught in it, and are in critical condition. You may want to get over here."

"I'm on my way." He put down his work and rushed out the door.


	7. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story. They are the respectful property of Paramount; I just write stories about them.

* * *

B'Elanna was slowly drifting back into consciousness. Tom noticed her eyes fluttering as she attempted to open them. He quietly pulled the chair he was sitting in closer to the biobed. He sat back down, and her head turned towards him.

"Tom?" she asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper, so he moved in closer to hear her better.

"Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Is the baby alright?"

"The baby's just fine, don't worry." He lied to her; he didn't like doing it, but he knew it would be better if she didn't know the truth. The baby was fine for now, but there was a chance at placenta abruption. Telling her that would worry her, causing her stress.

"Where's Miral?"

"With your mother."

"May I see her?" She started to rise, but was stopped short by Tom.

"Take it easy; I'll go ask the Doctor if you can see Miral. You rest." He gently pushed her back down, and left the room in search of the Doctor.

*

After two weeks of close observation, Tom was able to take B'Elanna home. He was going to stay at the house to take care of her and Miral, since B'Elanna was going to be on bed rest for a month.

B'Elanna's father, John Torres, had come up for a visit, and volunteered to help.

"You said Miral likes mashed string beans right?" he asked Tom.

"Yeah, but don't leave her alone with it."

John gave him a puzzled look.

"Trust me, you don't want to know what happens if you do."

Tom brought his attention back to the stove, where a hot pan of eggs was frying. He picked up the pan with a towel, and shared the eggs onto the plates he had laid out on the counter. He brought one of the plates to John, and the other he placed on a tray with some toast and orange juice for B'Elanna.

"I'll be back in a bit." He picked up the tray and walked up the stairs.

*

When he reached B'Elanna's room, he placed the tray down on a dresser near the door, and knocked lightly to see if she was awake.

"Come in," she responded.

He opened the door, and brought the tray over to her.

"I hope you're hungry."

"I'm famished." He placed the tray over her lap. "Thanks."

"No problem. I'll leave you alone for a bit, then come back for the tray." He headed out the door, and left B'Elanna to finish her meal.

"Tom!"

He ran back to the room when he heard his name, fearing the worse.

"What's wrong?" He saw tears in her eyes, but she was smiling.

"Nothing, the baby just kicked. It hasn't kicked since I left for Qo'noS."

"Oh, good; I was worried for a second." He let out a sigh of relief, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "May I?"

"Sure." She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. The baby kicked again, and both of their faces lit up. There was a knock on the door, and John appeared with Miral in his arm.

"I thought you said you'll be back in a bit." He was clearly ticked, and Tom couldn't blame him. He had chunks of Miral's breakfast in his hair, and on his clothes.

"Sorry."

"I don't know if the two of you are aware of this, but your daughter is a trouble maker."

"We know," they replied in unison.


	8. Chapter Seven

One month later...

"Come on, sweetie, let's go," B'Elanna said as she picked Miral up. She was finally off bed rest, and she decided to take Miral to the park.

She grabbed her purse and headed out the door. The park was only a few blocks away, so she decided to walk there instead of taking the shuttle.

*

When they arrived, B'Elanna put Miral down. Miral only wandered a few feet away, so B'Elanna sat down on a nearby bench to watch her. She pulled a PADD out of her purse, and began to read it, occasionally looking back at Miral to make sure she wasn't in trouble. "May I sit here?" She looked up to see a man about her age, with black hair, and grey eyes.

"Yeah, go ahead." She went back to her PADD.

"Thanks. Is she yours?" He pointed to Miral as he sat down.

"Yes."

"That's my Jack over there."

B'Elanna nodded, and again went back to her PADD.

"Is she your first?"

"Yes." _Jeez, he's trying to hit on me, isn't he?_ she thought.

"Jack's my first also. How old is she?"

"19 months."

"Oh, almost the same age as Jack, he's 20 months."

"That's nice." She was hoping he got the point that she wasn't interested.

"My name's Rick by the way." He held his hand out to her.

"B'Elanna." She shook it, not wanting to be rude.

She saw Harry walk by, so she excused herself, and walked over to him. "Hey, darling."

Harry was now confused.

"B'Elanna, what's going on?" he whispered.

"I'll explain later. Just play along."

He gave her a wink, and opened his mouth to speak.

"There you are; I've been looking all over for you. When I got home, you and Miral weren't there."

"I'm sorry. I meant to leave a note, but I must have forgotten."

"Don't worry about it; just make sure you leave one next time." He took both of her hands in his, and pretended to kiss her on the forehead.

"Stay right here; I'll go get Miral." Once he got her, he walked back to B'Elanna. She wrapped her hand around his free arm, and they left the park. When they were clear, she released it.

"So what was that all about anyway?" Harry asked.

"Oh, the guy on the bench was hitting on me."

"Honestly?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well no, that's not what I meant; I mean… Just forget it."

"It's okay, Starfleet. I'm joking with you."

Silence took over, until Harry spoke again.

"Hey are you hungry? We pass an Italian restaurant on the way back to our street. I'll pay."

"Well, since you're paying; let's go." She let Harry take the lead, and followed him to the restaurant.

*

Back at Harry's apartment, Tom was pacing around his desk.

He had gotten the one thing that plagued writers for centuries -a bad case of Writer's Block. After a few minutes, he decided that taking a relaxing bubble bath would help. The only problem was that the apartment only had showers.

However, the Master Bathroom in the house did have a bath, so he packed the supplies he would need, went across the street, pulled the key from underneath the mat, and unlocked the door.

"B'Elanna?" he asked as he peeped his head through the door. No answer, he put the key back under the mat, and walked through the door.

He went to the top of the stairs, and entered the bathroom through B'Elanna's room. He ran the water, put some bubble bath mixture in it, and let the water fill while he undressed. He put the radio that B'Elanna had given him on top of the counter and turned it on.

He let out a sigh as the warm water covered his body. He let his eyes close, and breathed in the grape scent emitting from the tub. He was so entranced that he didn't hear B'Elanna enter the other room.

*

B'Elanna finished putting Miral down for a nap and went to take one of her own, when she heard music coming out of the bathroom. She went to investigate, and saw a man lying in the tub. "Tom?"

"Gahh!" He sat up, and pulled some of the bubbles over himself. "When did you get here?"

"Maybe about a minute ago, but more importantly how did you get here?"

"I walked over."

"I mean how did you get in the house?"

"The key was under the mat."

"I thought I moved it."

"You really should -never know who might find it." He flashed her his signature 'Tom Paris' grin and she threw a towel at him.

"Just get dressed." And with that, she walked back into the bedroom.


	9. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story. They are the respectful property of Paramount; I just write stories about them.

* * *

Two months later...

Tom looked at the chronometer on his bedside table. 1730 -B'Elanna said that dinner would be ready at 1800, so he had plenty of time to waste.

He checked himself in the mirror, and readjusted his shirt collar. Noticing the time on the chronometer, he decided to see if B'Elanna needed any help. He turned off the lights, and walked out the door.

*

B'Elanna was pulling a dress over her head when she heard the door chime.

_Don't tell me they arrived early. _By they, she meant Tom's parents, who decided that now would be a good time for a visit.

She reached behind to zip the dress, but found she could only pull it half way up. Using her hand to close the dress, she went downstairs to answer the door. To her relief, Tom's face appeared in the doorway.

"It's just you," she stated with a sigh.

"Does that mean you're happy to see me?"

"Considering I thought you were your parents, yes. Now are you coming inside or what?" When she stepped aside, Tom noticed where her other hand was.

"Here, let me get that for you."

She turned willingly, and he carefully pulled up the zipper.

"Thanks." The doorbell chimed again. "They're here."

Tom opened the door, and was pulled into his mother's embrace. His father waited patiently for his turn.

"Oh Tom, we missed you," she cried.

"I missed you too, mom."

She released Tom, and searched for B'Elanna.

"There you are, come over here and give me a hug."

Before B'Elanna had the chance to escape, her mother-in-law trapped her in her arms.

"Nice to see you again, Mrs. Paris," B'Elanna said as she patted her mother-in-law's back.

"Dear, how many times do I have to tell you that you can call me Linda, or mom. Now let me look at you." Stepping back a bit, she slid her hands down B'Elanna's shoulders and grabbed her hands. "Wow, you've gotten bigger; not that you're fat or anything like that..." She trailed off, hoping she didn't offend B'Elanna. "Do you smell something burning?"

"Oh no, the pot roast!" B'Elanna said.

Everyone rushed into the kitchen, and tried in vain to salvage the whole meal. They were able to save the side dishes, but the pot roast was forever lost to the receptacle.

*

After replicating a new pot roast, they all gathered at the table to eat. An uncomfortable silence lingered over them. "

How are things going at Headquarters?" B'Elanna finally broke the silence.

"Quite well actually -we've been discussing new ship designs," Admiral Paris replied.

Tom's head shot up from his plate at the words 'new ship'.

"Really?" His interest was clearly peaked.

"Yes, we were also looking for a test pilot. You wouldn't be interested, would you?"

"Come on, dad; do you really need to ask?"

"I guess not." He chuckled. "But I thought that with Miral, and a new baby, you wouldn't want to risk it. I mean, isn't that why you took up Holo-noveling?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't jump at a chance to pilot again. As long as B'Elanna is fine with it."

Everyone turned their heads towards B'Elanna.

"Hey, knock yourself out, flyboy." She threw her hands up in defense.

"Now that we have her approval, I'll let you know when the test-flight will be scheduled."

*

Two hours, and several hugs later, Tom's parents left. B'Elanna slowly lowered herself onto the couch, and Tom left to check on Miral. He returned a couple of minutes later to join B'Elanna.

"How's Miral?" she asked.

"She's tucked in tight, and fast asleep." He was still walking to the couch, and B'Elanna moved to a sitting position so he could have the other cushion. She shifted around for several seconds before she found a comfortable position. "Are you alright? And be honest with me."

"I'm fine; my back hurts a bit."

"Does this help?" He reached his hand behind her, and gently rubbed her back. He didn't really need an answer, since he could feel her tense muscles relaxing under his hand.

"Yeah, it does." She closed her eyes in contentment. "Thanks." She grabbed his hand, and placed it on his lap.

"No problem." He wrung his hands. "It's late, I should probably get going."

"Hmm."

"You're falling asleep, aren't you?"

"Maybe." She opened one eye, and gave him a small smile.

"Do you want me to walk you up to bed?"

"I am perfectly capable of walking myself up, thank you."

"I know that, I was just trying to be polite." He moved closer to her.

"You should get going."

"Yeah." He got up from the couch, and walked to the door. B'Elanna followed him. "Goodnight"

"Goodnight, Tom."

She watched him walk out the door, then shut it behind him. Taking in a deep breath, she made her way up the stairs. Once she reached the top, she went into Miral's room. She watched her daughter sleep for several minutes, and gently kissed her on her forehead before she left.

Once in her bedroom, B'Elanna made quick work of unzipping her dress. She pulled some pajamas out of her draw, and went into the bathroom to put them on. Returning from the bathroom, she threw her dress onto her bed, and nestled under the covers. When her head hit the pillow, she soon fell asleep.


	10. Chapter Nine

One month later…

B'Elanna was in the sonic-shower getting ready for her appointment with the Doctor. Miral had stayed overnight with Tom, and he agreed to watch her until she came back.

Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around herself. To save herself some time, she left the clothes she was going to wear on the counter. Once her clothes were on, she quickly combed out her hair, and left the room. She managed to get her shoes on, before heading down the stairs and out the door.

Sitting down at the controls of her shuttle, she typed in the coordinates to Starfleet Medical. She set the shuttle onto autopilot, and relaxed for the ten-minute flight.

*

When she arrived, she checked in with Riley, the Doctor's receptionist.

She had just settled into a seat, when a familiar face appeared through the doorway. She let the person check in with Riley before starting a conversation.

"Hey, Seven," B'Elanna said cheerfully.

"Lieutenant Torres."

"Seven, we're not on Voyager anymore, you can call me B'Elanna."

"I'm sorry, Lie... B'Elanna."

"Forget it," B'Elanna replied while she reached out to hug Seven. They were both far enough in their pregnancies that hugging was hard enough to do with only one person having a baby, let alone two.

After managing an awkward hug, they both sat down in adjacent seats. "So, how have you been?" B'Elanna asked.

"Fine. I've been having back pains, but I'll adapt." She gave B'Elanna a slight smirk.

"Chakotay told you I said that, aye?"

"Yes, he also told me that you said thank you for the present. You're welcome."

"Thanks. Speaking of that husband of yours, where is he?"

"Still in Arizona, apparently some of his colleagues found artifacts dating back to 685 B...Hmm" Seven doubled over in pain.

Riley noticed, and immediately paged the Doctor. He came out with a few orderlies, and helped Seven onto a gurney.

Before they could move her, Seven grabbed a hold of B'Elanna's hand. "Please stay with me?"

"I'll stay as long as you need me." She patted Seven's hand reassuringly. "I'll be right with you; I just need to let Tom know I'll be late. Alright?" She nodded, and released her hand. B'Elanna walked over to Riley's desk. "Could I use your comm system for a bit?"

"Sure."

"Thank you." She imputed the necessary information, and a few seconds later Tom's face appeared.

"Hey. I thought you were in you're appointment."

"Well, the Doctor has more pressing issues right now. Seven went into labor. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I am going to stay with her until Chakotay gets here. Do you mind watching Miral for another night?"

"Nope."

"Great. How are things going anyway?"

"Never better, Miral doesn't miss you at all."

"Tell her goodnight for me?"

"Will do; see you tomorrow." He ended the transmission.

*

Several hours later, Seven was squeezing what felt like the life out of B'Elanna's hand. Thankfully, Riley was able to get a hold of Chakotay, and from his last check in, he was only five minutes away. As the pain subsided, Seven let go of B'Elanna's hand. The Doctor came in shortly after. "How are you feeling?" he asked,

"I've been in labor for over eight hours. How am I supposed to feel?" Seven responded through gritted teeth.

"Good point, but it won't be too long now." He placed his hand on Seven's shoulder, when his combadge beeped. "Go ahead, Riley."

"Seven's husband has arrived."

"Oh, thank goodness." B'Elanna said aloud, when she meant to keep it in her head.

"Send him in," with that, he ended the link.

Chakotay walked in the door a minute later. He went straight towards Seven, and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner."

"It's alright; B'Elanna was with me."

"I'm glad." He turned to B'Elanna. "Thanks for staying with her; I can take it from here."

"No problem. Good luck." She walked towards the door.

"Oh B'Elanna, if you don't mind, I would still like to give you your exam after Seven has delivered," the Doctor put in before she could leave.

"I'll be out in the waiting room then." B'Elanna exited into the hallway, and took the first seat available in the waiting room.

*

An hour later, the Doctor came out into the waiting room.

"How's Seven?" B'Elanna asked eagerly.

"Her and the baby are both fine -they're resting. Now, if you'll kindly follow me, I would like to make sure your baby is healthy."

"Alright, but I get to see Seven before I leave right?"

"If she is awake."

"Fair enough."

He led B'Elanna into an exam room. She sat down at the edge of the biobed, as he pulled a tricorder off his medical tray. Turning the device on, he slowly ran the scanner over her body.

"Well?"

"Once again, you're both perfectly healthy. Do you have any complaints?"

"None that I can think of. May I go?"

"Yes. Seven's room is five doors down, make sure you knock first."

"Will do." She slid off the biobed, and went to see Seven.

She reached the door, and quietly knocked on it.

"Come in," Seven replied.

"Hi. Oh, look at him." She walked over to the biobed, where Seven was holding her baby boy. "Did you name him yet?"

"Akikta."

"Ah. Happy birthday, Akikta."

"Would you like to hold him?"

"Thank you, but I should get going. But, that doesn't mean I won't later. Goodnight and congratulations."

"Thanks, goodnight," Chakotay and Seven replied together. After some quick hugs, B'Elanna left the new family.


	11. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story. They are the respectful property of Paramount; I just wirte stories about them.

* * *

One month later...

Tom briskly walked through the halls to Starfleet's shuttle/starship testing lab. He was finally going to test pilot the Manticore, after several design flaws put the launch months behind schedule. He could feel his adrenaline pumping through his blood stream, as images of touching the control panels raced through his head. He hadn't felt like this in almost a year, and it was a welcomed, and much missed, feeling.

*

Before heading to the Manitcore's launch bay, he made a visit to some old friends.

Making a right at the next corridor, he came to a pair of doors. He typed in the command code that his father had given him, and the doors swished open. Walking inside the dimly lit room, he waited for his heart to stop pounding in his ears.

"Computer, lights, full illumination." The lights came on to reveal several starships. He walked down the line until he found the one he wanted. Voyager, she was still as beautiful as the first day he saw her. His heart jumped into his throat as he typed in the command to open the landing deck. He jogged up and went straight towards the Shuttle Bay, where the Delta Flyer was still perched.

*

Reaching the Shuttle Bay, he slowed his pace and entered. He ran his hand over the Flyer's hull as he walked to the entrance. He opened the door, and as he stepped inside, past memories flooded him. Memories of piloting the ship he designed for the first time, various away-missions, proposing to B'Elanna, and their honeymoon.

The last memories were bittersweet. For they were the symbol of what he and B'Elanna had, and lost. They seemed so distant now, that if it weren't for Miral, he would have thought they were just a dream.

He sat at the helm for a while, soaking in the sight. He then left to go visit other parts of the ship.

His first stop was to the Bridge. He was half expecting it to look the way it did, with Captain Janeway in her command chair, and Commander Chakotay in his, and with him arriving late for his shift for the umpteenth time. However, it was empty, except for everything that couldn't be moved. Upon further inspection, he found his chair, standing at the helm, waiting to receive him.

He eagerly sat down in the chair. He sighed a deep, contented sigh. He laid his hands out over the console. Without thinking, his hands automatically started tapping in random codes. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly pulled his hands away, then left the room.

Tom's last stop was to his and B'Elanna's old quarters. Once again, he was expecting it to look the way it did, but found a room with only a bed. He sat at the edge of it, and put his head between his knees. As he was in this position, he noticed a holo-image lying face down near his feet. He carefully picked it up, and turned it over.

It was an image of him and B'Elanna. As he looked at it, he remembered when they took it. It was several days after he first told her that he loved her, and it showed. They were both smiling, and looking deeply into each other's eyes. Tears threatened to fall, but he couldn't look away.

He would give anything to go back to that point in time, where they were both happy in each other's arms, and he would wake up next to her every morning. Then, it seemed so easy to turn to her and say those three simple words. If he said them now, they wouldn't matter. Although they were still technically married, she had moved on without him, and he had to live with that fact, even if it hurt more than he could bear.

*

Ten hours later, B'Elanna was lying in her bed as another contraction hit. She had been experiencing them since the night before, but since they weren't close enough together, the Doctor allowed her to wait them out at home.

She could hear Miral crying, so when the pain subsided, she went to check on her daughter.

*

She carefully picked Miral out of her crib, and took her over to the rocking chair. Miral was still a bit colicky from the day before, and the rocking helped soothe her back to sleep for a few hours. B'Elanna watched as her eyes started to drift closed. She rocked Miral for five more minutes, to insure that she was sound asleep.

As soon as B'Elanna placed Miral back in her crib, another contraction over took her. She bit her lip so hard -to keep from crying out, and not to wake Miral- that she drew blood. She also grasped the side of the crib hard enough that her hands were as white as flour.

*

When Tom returned home, he took the holo-image out of his pocket, and found a frame to put it in. He placed it on his bedside table, and stared at it. Looking at the smiling faces again, made him yearn for what once was, until he found himself walking over to the house.

He rang the chime, but there came no answer. Looking around the back, he saw B'Elanna's shuttle in the same spot it was when he left, so that meant she was home. But it also meant that she might be hurt, so he reached for the key underneath the doormat.

He reached his hand under the mat, but only felt cement.

_Figures. She moves the key when I really need it,_ he thought.

His mind started racing with the many possible hiding places. He tried underneath all the rocks, then behind the porch light.

Still no key.

Just when he thought he was out of hiding places, he remembered the "tacky" pink lawn flamingo that he convinced B'Elanna to let him put up when they first moved in.

Sure enough, lying deeply inside the flamingo's open mouth, was the house key.

He raced back to the front door, and shoved the key into the lock. He cranked it as far as it could go, and threw the door open.

Miral started crying again.

Running up the stairs, Tom could hear a slight moaning coming from B'Elanna's bedroom. Since her bedroom was closer, he went to check on B'Elanna first.

*

B'Elanna stared at the door as it started opening. Her first thought was that it was a burglar, but was relieved of that thought when Tom's face appeared.

"B'Elanna, come on, let's get you to the Doctor."

"We can't."

"Bella, you're clearly in labor; we need to go _now_."

"We can't."

"Why not?"

"Have to check on Miral."

"Alright, I'll be right back." He left the room, and entered Miral's shortly. She was still crying, but not as loudly.

"Shhh, it's okay sweetheart, daddy's here." He picked her out of the crib, and bounced her. Her crying grew louder, so he switched that method for the rocking chair. Slowly she began to calm down enough to fall back asleep. Placing her back in the crib, he tucked her in.

*

When he returned to B'Elanna's room, her labor had progressed to the point that the baby would have to be delivered at home. He ran downstairs to grab some clean towels, and contacted the Doctor.

He returned with a few extra things that he forgot that he would need. He propped B'Elanna up on some pillows, and gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder before leaving her side.

He gently moved her legs aside. "I can see the head," he said excitedly. "Next time you get a contraction, push."

B'Elanna bored down sooner then he expected.

"You're doing great," he assured her. "One more push and you're done."

She rested for a few seconds, then pushed again as hard as she could.

"It's a boy!" Tom cried as he lifted the screaming newborn up so B'Elanna could see. He gently wrapped it in one of the towels, and brought him over to B'Elanna.

They were both grinning as Tom handed her the baby, which quickly stopped crying when he was in his mother's arms. Tears suddenly filled her eyes as she looked down at her son.

"What are we going to name him?" she asked.

"I don't know. You did most of the work, so you should choose."

"I really like Aiden."

"That's the one I suggested."

"I know." She smiled at him.

"Bella."

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

More tears flowed down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I love you too." B'Elanna lifted her head, and Tom met her half way into a long kiss.


	12. Epilogue

"By the power invested to me by Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Admiral Janeway turned to face Tom. "You may now kiss the bride."

Cheers and applause erupted from the crowed as Tom pulled B'Elanna into a deep kiss.

*

Two months after Aiden was born, Tom and B'Elanna renewed their wedding vows, much to Harry's delight.

Now that Tom had moved out, Harry had his apartment all to himself. He somewhat missed having his best friend as a roommate, so after much discussion with his landlord, Harry brought a dog to help fill the void.

Tom was offered a full time position as a test pilot, which he gladly accepted.

Things were pretty quite in the Paris household, even with the new baby.

Miral took her new role as big sister with pride. She also celebrated her second birthday.

And B'Elanna was happy with the way things had turned out. Although she did wish sometimes that she could change Aiden's hair from blonde to brunette.


End file.
